The federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) is one of the most well-known anti-fraud laws in the country. This criminal statute has a huge impact on the healthcare industry and can affect physicians, executives, lab owners and anyone else that files claims for payment...
Texas Health Care Law Blog
How do I challenge a nursing board’s decision?
As noted in previous posts, it is important to take a notification from the state nursing board seriously. These notifications are generally a sign of an impending investigation and can lead to serious repercussions. Depending on the details of the allegations,...
Lessons from a failed healthcare merger
Leaders behind what would have been a billion-dollar healthcare merger recently announced plans to walk away from the deal. The merger of the two community focused healthcare systems would have resulted in an $11.5 billion system. The announcement provides an...
Feds take aggressive stance against NP, get 20-year prison term
The United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas recently announced the sentencing of a nurse practitioner (NP). The feds had accused the NP, who practiced in Texas, of engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicare...
What is a nurse’s first steps if their license is threatened?
Many different things can threaten a nurse’s professional license. A patient could file a complaint with the state nursing board, or an employer may reach out to the board. Whatever led to the complaint, it is likely the board will move forward. The first thing the...
Acquisition in healthcare: Watch out for these federal regulations
One business buying another to further its operations or reach is not a new concept, but the laws and regulations that surround these transactions are constantly changing. In a recent example, a medical staffing firm out of Texas finalized its acquisition of a virtual...
Officials slam private practice for billing out-of-network patients
Officials recently accused an anesthesia practice of failing to disclose information to patients prior to providing care. This information included the likelihood that their services were out-of-network for billing purposes because the group did not participate in the...
3 ways feds are cracking down on pandemic related healthcare fraud
The feds are aggressively pursuing allegations of healthcare fraud related to relaxed regulations and incentives to help address the pandemic. In a recent example, the government charged 14 people with healthcare fraud related to the pandemic. They claim that those...
Can I get my medical license back after a conviction?
Back in early 1997, a medical student out of New York went through painful dental surgery. He began to take opioids to help manage the pain and became addicted to the meds. He finished medical school and residency, was board certified for physical medicine and...
What is the future of remote work in healthcare?
The pandemic forced us to reevaluate how we work. In an effort to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, we shifted a large portion of our workforce to remote status. This provided an opportunity not just to increase the safety of our workforce, but also to see if a...

